10369 réponses à ce sujet

[Maria13]

I'm sensing a pattern here... Shall we pair up? I'm always asking my husband on the man's take... and I think he finds it boring...



Sleep on it.

[leeboi2]

When I begin my next chapter I might ask you Gilgamesh, just a bit busy to write atm

Who were you reffering to, Maria?

[Gilgamesh1138]

ROFL, yeah Miri, I just had my yelling at the monitor a moment ago. I think FF has the 'fidgets."

I am happy to help whenever you are ready,  just remember, you'll want someone else for grammar. 

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 08 mai 2010 - 10:57 .

[Maria13]

leeboi2 wrote...

When I begin my next chapter I might ask you Gilgamesh, just a bit busy to write atm
Who were you reffering to, Maria?

*Blush* Who wants to dance???

[Gilgamesh1138]

LOL, *hugs Maria13* what are you blushing for sweetie?



Though I am more of a man then my husband in so many ways. My mom was raised by her dad when her mom died. I have a decidedly guy take on many things. My husband would have made an excellent girl.

[Maria13]

Gilgamesh1138 wrote...

LOL, *hugs Maria13* what are you blushing for sweetie?

Though I am more of a man then my husband in so many ways. My mom was raised by her dad when her mom died. I have a decidedly guy take on many things. My husband would have made an excellent girl.

Oh, it's the same here...  I'm the toughie and he's the one who spoils the cat.

[Gilgamesh1138]

ROFL! Are we married to the same gent? You are a peach Maria. But leeboi2 I recommend you find at one other beta. You can check FF. brownc0at was one who was recommended to me for grammar. Ette, bless her, is a busy bee, but you could ask. Maria13 is an excellent writer (I want to slap myself for being too busy to read her and Miri1984's works) Why can't days be more than 24 hours? And they both may be willing to beta for you. There is a lot of talent on this forum, and all of them are just lovely sweet people. You need only ask, if they will. They will tell you if they are too busy.

[odiedragon]

EtteStarz wrote...

"You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what's burning inside you. And we edit to let the fire show through the smoke."

--Arthur Plotnik, editor and author (b. 1937)

I do all the above when I edit, and I try to offer several different suggestions to the authors to make sure I understand their intent.  "If you meant this here's one suggestion, but if you meant this then this one." 

And, I admit that this is bad since that means I'm not a fast beta reader.  However, the worst thing for me to do as an editor is to impose my style on theirs.  I edit to help clarify meaning and bring out the beauty of the existing prose. 

Also, it’s so much easier to have real-time editing sessions (like via Skype) because you have a conversation than a one-sided reading.  So many things get lost in the translation and assumptions.

Love the quote

See, that's what I'm afraid I'm not good at, the not-imposing bit.  I edit things to sound like how *I* think the should sound... and while people seem happy enough with what I do, it bothers me.  But how else do you fix poorly worded dialog if not through the lens of you own experience?

I usually beta while on IRC, so I can pop a PM to someone if I have a question, are looking for clarification, or have (in one instance) a question about the world.  It's like Skype without being on stage (I've always had issues about being on the phone with "strangers", even on IRC where the line of stranger/not stranger is blurred.

[odiedragon]

Gilgamesh1138 wrote...

Wow, I am behind!

@ odie, well I am a content beta. I am like Tasmen (who ROCKS as a beta) and I tend to read for content, flow, repeat phrasing, and obvious grammar mistakes. My grammar sucks and I love putting commas in willy nilly. Hence I have Ette (who ROCKS) as a beta for me. odie, If I had any idea you were a beta I would have bugged you too. I am such a noob.

And BEER! There just for Tasmen. : D

I wouldn't describe myself as "a beta", more of a "what goes around comes around" kind of person.   Generally I beta for people who I've imposed my own monster fic chapters on.

And I agree, Tas rocks as a beta   She's not afraid to go "WTF are you *thinking* here?!" which is exactly what's needed at times.

[Gilgamesh1138]

@Oh and I apologize odie. I meant to include you in the fantastic writer category too!   I don't know how to do it without your own lense either odie.  I have corrected awkward sentences too or dialogue.  I just tell them they can use what I say as a template so they can work it to sound more like their writing style.  But I do that too, where I write it the way "i" think it should read. 

As a writer, I usually read what I get from my betas and if I like it I incorporate it. Or I use what they gave me, or mix and match so it still is my style, but improved due to my beta *looks at EtteStarz with adoring eyes*.

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 09 mai 2010 - 12:00 .

[leeboi2]

I'll have to ask some of y'all sometime then Anyone read ME FF's too? I just started on one of them t'other day, guess I'll need some help on that too

[Gilgamesh1138]

ROFL! No worries Ette, really. I am not in a hurry. Suffering through writing chapter 82! And my iPod has to charge, so no inspirational music. *sigh*

My adoration was real, and not meant to be guilt laced, at all. In fact, I completely forgot you were going to finish the last part. Don't bother sweetheart. I have posted what my other beta gave me. So please, have fun, do something for yourself. Because I am planning on sending you 82 tonight and then I expect you to work! *cracks whip*  j/k! Please don't spam me guys! I promise I am only kidding, I would never abuse Ette. I can't even be mean in game!

Love ME stuff too.

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 09 mai 2010 - 12:27 .

[Gilgamesh1138]

Ah, see Ette, that is why I love you as a beta. : D Well, and I love you as an author too. : D You rock!

[Tasmen]

odiedragon wrote...

And I agree, Tas rocks as a beta   She's not afraid to go "WTF are you *thinking* here?!" which is exactly what's needed at times.

Is that why you keep me around?  Hrm....  

[TanithAeyrs]

Have to jump in on the beta discussion. I have 3 people that beta for me, all of them help in different ways - Gil is awesome at plot and characterization, brownc0at is great for punctuation and story flow, and Tara catches my awkward sentences and my repetative "hads" and "thats". All of them do a little of everything, but I think that having different perspectives helps me a lot.



I am also so grateful that these three people take time out of their busy lives to help me write a coherent story.

[odiedragon]

Tasmen wrote...

odiedragon wrote...

And I agree, Tas rocks as a beta   She's not afraid to go "WTF are you *thinking* here?!" which is exactly what's needed at times.

Is that why you keep me around?  Hrm....  

Yep.  That and the porn videos.

[Gilgamesh1138]

ROFL! Tas you are awesome! Maybe I need to send you beer? I don't have any porn videos to bribe you with. : ( X D See Tas, you are a great beta! I love what you found for me.

[Tasmen]

odiedragon wrote...
Yep.  That and the porn videos.

Hey, I only fraps them.  Thank the people that have WAY too much time on their hands and actually WRITE those mods.  WIthout them, I would have nothing to capture

[Tasmen]

Gilgamesh1138 wrote...

ROFL! Tas you are awesome! Maybe I need to send you beer? I don't have any porn videos to bribe you with. : ( X D See Tas, you are a great beta! I love what you found for me.

I won't turn down free beer.  Nope.  And thanks!   And FYI, Odie doesn't bribe me with pr0n.  I'm the provider of such things.  I have a little too much fun with FRAPS at times.

[Gilgamesh1138]

LOL Tas!   Just tell what kind of beer! And if you ever come to Austin, I will put you up (sleep number bed, they are fun to play with) and I will take you out to the microbrewery here. 

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 09 mai 2010 - 03:56 .

[Aroihkin]

I'm another in the camp of 'never had a beta'. I just end up re-reading my chapters until I absolutely hate them to weed out redundancy and awkward sentences as much as I can, etc. That's a good part of why I'm writing shorter chapters right now; I wrote 50k words in another fandom last December, and I believe it was the self-editing that almost burned me out the most.

I do sometimes get concrit from a few of my readers when something occurs to them, though. Which is nice. English is my only language, but I am completely self-taught. I didn't even know about its/it's until a few years ago when a reader told me. XD

I sometimes pass chapters along to my roommate to pre-read, but I'm not sure I would call it beta'ing since she doesn't edit anything, or really look for anything that needs it. I mostly make her read stuff so that when I'm rambling about a plot point while making tea, she's somewhat up to speed, haha. She never seems to read stuff once it's online.

[Miri1984]

I've had people offer to beta for me and I'm grateful for it, but I think the main problems that people point out are problems I'm already aware of and have trouble fixing. Also my production rate is too high to ask someone to beta everything for me . It would be like having to do marking every day of the week as a full time job. Yerch.

[Gilgamesh1138]

ROFL, Miri, for you, it would take a team of twenty! You are good, and you are fast! I love that about you. Even if I have myself for not being able to read to keep up with you! Saucy minx!

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 09 mai 2010 - 05:11 .